Worldwide
Chapter 14: Saoco (To Do Something Great)
This chapter was supposed to be published yesterday, but I had back-to-back appointments with some doctors. I know it's relatively shorter, but I figured we needed some time alone with the group of friends (And who doesn't appreciate small but sweet Jarlos moments?) Thanks so much to: tomboy2012 , Lovin' Big Time Rush, tomboy2012, annabellex2, CourageAboveAllElse, Curlylocks4232, sega385, Anonymous Skrtle, Hikari no Kasai, Write Me To Sleep, TheClaire24, rosiedoll, Kogan4ever, Sir RCCS, I AM AIR, Kogan4ever, Rhett9 and pikagurl12. This was written March 2012.
Once ten o'clock struck, Carlos looked up and saw a sheepish band of high school students making their way to the previously locked community pool. Kendall had explained to Carlos that when he worked as a lifeguard, he had made a copy of the key and this became a recurring meeting spot for the group whenever they felt truly pressured. He mumbled something about how water helped them relax.
Jo and Kendall immediately embraced, and Carlos could see the longing in both of their eyes. Camille was holding onto Logan's arm, as he walked as if he was frozen. James carelessly fluttered in, and mysteriously, Stephanie was absent.
"Stephanie's not here." Carlos stated, staring at Kendall for guidance. Kendall shook his head and sat himself down on a pool chair, transfixing his eyes on the ebbing pool water.
"I would have been concerned if she did show up, honestly." Kendall admitted, running a hand through his flattened hair. Carlos winced as he recalled the shrill yelling Sra. Knight composed the moment both boys walked in through the door. While the anger in her eyes died down when Kendall explained to her the situation, Sra. Knight still punished both boys: there was going to be no eating out, Kendall had restricted computer time, and Carlos got no dessert. Carlos almost wept at the maternal cruelty Sra. Knight upheld so perfectly.
"So how bad were your 'rents?" James asked aloud, as everyone gave an involuntary shiver. However, Logan blinked and turned to face James with a look of horror on his face.
"I'm grounded, but my parents actually said they were proud of me." Logan blinked the confusion away from his face, but it still remained like a pimple.
"Jett tried to weasel out information from me, but I told him that it was between our group of friends." Jo announced, and everyone nodded. Carlos felt a warm feeling fill him internally—Jo had just referred to Carlos as a member of their group of friends.
"So why did you make us sneak out and risk a life sentence?" Logan asked, his nose jeering pointedly at Kendall. Carlos could feel some tension between the two, but he let it slide. It was obvious that Logan was upset, and perhaps he was mentally blaming Kendall.
"I wanted to try and think of a way to get Stephanie out of that gang," Kendall admitted, "and who else could do this but us?" Jo giggled softly, but continued to hold a remorseful look on her face. Only then did Carlos smell the excess shampoo scents drifting from Camille and Jo—they had showered quite heavily.
"We could talk to a counselor to get her out of it." Logan suggested. Camille and Jo nodded, but James shook his head roughly.
"I'm ninety percent sure they've already tried to appeal to her as authority, and that won't work. I'm sure Kat and her crew have ways to get around that." James voiced his concerns. Carlos nodded his head in agreement.
"Well, what should we do? Do something to get expelled?" Logan hissed. James narrowed his eyes at Logan, but Camille held Logan back. Kendall took a deep exhale and got up from his seat, standing between both ends of the spectrum.
"We could go to the police." Kendall warily voiced. James rolled his eyes again and leaned against the wired fence, the sound of his chewing of gum becoming louder and more apparent.
"Once again, if it was that easy, then gangs wouldn't exist." James argued. Jo, however, then peered at James and shook her head.
"James, it's not going to be easy, but it's the best thing we can do." Jo tried to assuage James, but he shook his head and placed his hands on his hips, anger filling his eyes.
"Okay, we'll tell the police. They'll tell us they're working on it. If we try to get involved, they'll get mad. If we don't get involved, they won't do anything. How in the world will that help us?" James hooted in anger. His frustration was becoming more and more apparent, as he actually ran a hand through his hair and messed up the perfect locks that established his character.
"James is right." Camille suddenly interjected into the silence, surprising Logan who turned his neck to glance at her. Camille wiped her hands on her blouse and arose from her eat, standing beside Jo. "If we tell the police, they will not let us get involved. They'll get information out of us, and if we tell them why Stephanie joined, then we'll have to answer questions about him." There was a terse ripple of animosity in the group as they realized Camille and James were correct. It bugged Carlos to see such a debilitated image of the police force. In Spain, he felt as if his father was a hero and a super-powerful being. In the United States, Carlos felt as if the police were an egotistical clique that did not help very much.
"Should we leave police interference as a last resort? Do we trust any adults at school?" Kendall spoke again, glancing at Logan. Carlos guessed that of all the students, Logan would have the best connections with the teachers from her perfect grades and polite demeanor.
"Ms. Wainwright could help us, but I feel like she would tell Mr. Rocque everything and that would spiral the situation out of control." Logan sighed, leaning back against a pool chair. Another wave of silence overcame the group of friends as their mind frantically scurried to find a solution. It frustrated everyone as to how complicated the situation was becoming when the solution was so clear. It was as if they were at the start of a path, where their destination was clear but the maze in front of them was a labyrinth.
"Carlos, do you have anything to say?" James looked toward Carlos, suddenly making Carlos's heart race. He was surprised by the reaction, and by his knees quivering, but he nodded quickly. Pulling out from his pocket, Carlos pulled out a piece of paper that had some information on it. Carlos had used Google to find some information that he felt would help him. He glanced at Logan to help him decipher the information.
Logan nodded and stood up, standing beside Carlos and glancing at the unfolded paper.
"Según a una investigación, cuando los miembros de pandillas han dejado su banda, era difícil de asimilar a la sociedad." Carlos read directly from the paper, glancing at Logan. Carlos could translate, but he felt as if he would be missing nuances or certain terms. Logan frowned initially, but then cleared his throat and faced the group.
"According to an investigation, when gang members left their gang, it was difficult to assimilate themselves back into society." Logan translated for Carlos, nodding for him to continue.
"Ellos experimentaron los insultos de sus compañeros, y fueron acosadas por su banda y por otras personas. Ellos fueron amenazados también." Carlos continued reading from the print-out, his eyes widening as he recounted the details of the accounts of the gang members. It was horrifying, and it terrified Carlos.
"People experienced insults from their peers, and were harassed by their gang and other people. They were also threatened." Logan dutifully translated for Carlos, his eyes twinkling slightly at the revelation of doing something to make his friends proud.
"Además, su casa, coche, y los bienes fueron objeto de vandalismo. Se sentían como si ellos no podían estar en cualquier lugar." Carlos whispered, his voice shaking slightly. He could not believe how difficult it was to emerge from such a dark group. It made Carlos see a stark contract: a gang was a toxic environment that was constricted. A group of friends, on the other hand, had commitments but was safe and fun. A gang was dark, friends were light.
"Moreover, their house, their car, and their property became objects of vandalism. They felt as if they could not be in any place." Logan matched Carlos's tone, his voice dropping. Carlos could see the shock in his eyes as well.
"Los estudios también han demostrado que cuando la gente se queda en las pandillas, hay un aumento de la violencia y la delincuencia. Hay un cambio en su actitud y apariencia. Los padres se apartaron de su hijo. Más consumo de drogas se ve a menudo, y el embarazo adolescente no es infrecuente." Carlos finished reading from the paper, and glanced at Logan to translate. The moment Logan began to understand the premise of Carlos's paper, he gave him a steadfast and firm smile that was still mulled from the sadness apparent in Logan's eyes.
"The studies have also shown that when the people stay in gangs, there is an increase in violence and crime. There are chances in attitude and appearance as well, and the parents become distanced from their child. There is more drug usage and an increase in teenage pregnancy." Logan faithfully translated. Everyone around the group was silent, staring at one another.
One thing Kat's Krew had alluded to was true: they all were privileged. James was wealthy and handsome. If nothing worked out for him, he could manage the family empire. Logan was incredibly smart and had loving parents who helped him succeed and had saved up enough money for college. Kendall's family was not as rich, but they were happy and would support Kendall at each step. Even Camille and Jo had loving parents and beautiful designer clothes to flaunt their sense of style and conformity. No one else in the group could possibly understand the pain of being in a state of extreme poverty or a state where everything was desolate.
"C-Carlos," Camille whispered, her tears exquisitely real, "where did you find that?" She brushed back several strands of her hair, and peered at the boy. Carlos looked down at his feet, trying to recall the website. Then it hit him.
"On the official police website of my dad's police station." Carlos said, bunching up words and violating several grammatical etiquettes. However, everyone understood the point of his words, and Kendall suddenly shot up from his seated position, a kindle in his eyes.
"Your father's a police man, right?" Kendall quickly asked. James gave Kendall a testy look, his eyes narrowing in confusion. However, Kendall answered James's silent question by shaking his head.
"Can you talk to him? Obviously, none of us can tell the magnitude of this issue but him, and he can't get involved so we're safe." Kendall glanced at Logan and James, finding common ground between both males. They both nodded.
"So you want me to talk to my papi?" Carlos grinned. James came forward and nodded, placing his hand on Carlos's shoulder.
"Carlos, can you call him tonight? What time is it there right now?" James asked, his brow furrowing. He pursed his lips and puffed up his face as he tried to remember the time zone differences.
"It is about siete y media de la mañana." Carlos announced aloud, blushing when he realized that he spoken in Spanish and English. He cleared his throat and repeated his sentence, in English. It was about seven thirty in the morning right now in Spain.
"What time did your dad get up from bed to go to work?" James asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Everyone gave James a questioning glance.
"Six in the morning." Carlos quickly replied, recalling his fond memories of his dad ruffling his hair whenever he was younger and would fall asleep on the couch.
"Call him." James suddenly thrust his advanced smartphone into Carlos's hand. Carlos glanced at James with confusing coloring his features. What did James want him to do with his cell phone? Didn't he need a long-distance plan?
"Carlos, I can pay for the minutes. Just call him now!" James's voice was urgent, as suddenly everyone began to understand why James had been asking those questions. Carlos nodded and began to type the numbers he had memorized onto the screen of James's phone.
After several minutes of ringing, Carlos heard his father's voice and almost wanted to cry. It had been so long.
"¡Papá! ¿Cómo estás?" Carlos exclaimed into the phone, his eyes twinkling slightly. He heard his father chuckle and return Carlos's greeting. After several minutes of common conversation, Carlos cleared his throat and began to ask his father questions. His father immediately became concerned, but Carlos convinced him it was for a school project. His father sighed and suddenly began to list off things Carlos could do, and Carlos nodded, remembering them all. After an emotional farewell, Carlos ended the phone call and handed back the phone to James.
"I have the plan." Carlos grinned through his tears, and before he knew it, Jo and Camille and James had embraced him, Kendall and Logan following suit. It was a beautiful warmth.
"Step one," Kendall drew on a piece of paper, "never tell the gang that you want to leave." The group had congregated in the early morning at the park with Stephanie. Stephanie still looked distraught, but Carlos kept on sending her warm glances. What also worried him was Jo's face. She looked tired and saddened, but Carlos passed it off as her concern for Stephanie.
"Guys," Stephanie croaked, looking up, "what if I don't want to leave?" Suddenly Logan narrowed his eyes and stared at Stephanie with surprise on his face.
"Would you rather be pregnant, into drugs, and indulging in crime? We have research!" Logan dramatically announced, pointing his finger upward. Stephanie gave a small smile and stayed silent, her eyes gazing at the floor.
"So anyways," James took the lead, "you can't let them know you want to leave." James whispered. Stephanie nodded her head and whispered a reply.
"They don't know." Stephanie whispered. The group smiled and continued to go down the list.
"Step two," Kendall began, "is to spend time doing other things." Kendall held a mischievous glint in his eyes, and Stephanie eyed him curiously before turning to Carlos.
"Your father told you this?" Stephanie asked innocently, brushing back her long straight hair. Carlos nodded proudly.
"So Camille and I will have signed you up to be the technical captain of the tech crew for the musical," James announced, Camille nodding proudly. Stephanie looked slightly taken aback, but she did not have time to react as Jo suddenly spoke up too.
"You and I will be going to the mall every other day after school to walk around and watch people." Jo winked, although Carlos was still bothered by the small traces of desolation in her voice. However, he could not dwell on it when Logan spoke.
"You and I will be tutoring people in AP Physics, and I emailed our teacher that you would be more than happy to help out, since you have a low A in the class." Logan said smugly, surprising Stephanie with his boldness.
"Step three," Kendall grinned at the cheekiness of his friends who still sat around the circle, "is to tell your dad." Suddenly, the atmosphere dropped and Stephanie's eyes bulged. Carlos guessed that she had managed to lie to her father about the incident, and he believed her.
"W-What?" Stephanie whispered. Kendall turned to Carlos who nodded his head.
"My dad said that your dad can give excuses for you and be a powerful alley for you if they come for you." Carlos smiled gently. James wrinkled his nose and quickly corrected Carlos.
"He means ally, not alley." James grinned, causing Carlos to blush slightly. Stephanie nodded sullenly.
The group disbanded soon enough, and Carlos walked back with James and Kendall. Kendall and Carlos had informed Sra. Knight that they were going for a walk to ensure they get proper exercise. James wanted to accompany back them back instead of staying at home.
"I'll be right back guys," Kendall suddenly widened his eyes, "I think I forgot my beanie at the park." Kendall immediately pivoted on his heel and ran back to the park. Carlos and James grinned, and they stood, waiting for Kendall. James was the first to weave the silence into a beautiful conversation.
"Thank you for everything, Carlitos." James whispered, standing one step closer to Carlos. Carlos grinned, but was a bit surprised to feel his heart beating again. It was beating as if it wanted to be thrust out of him. It was violently intoxicating.
"Yup!" Carlos grinned. He was slightly surprised when he noticed James slowly lifting his hand and placing it on Carlos's cheek, caressing his face.
"Carlos, thank you also for listening to me the night of the dance." James whispered, taking another step closer to Carlos. Carlos began to feel butterflies flying in his stomach, and let out a breathless reply, simply nodding his head. He could see the flawlessness in James's face, and his piercing eyes began to stare into Carlos's eyes.
Slowly, James began to lower his face onto Carlos's face. Carlos closed his eyes, letting his heart and body take over. He could feel James's breath lingering on his lips, and suddenly Carlos felt a strong urge for James. It was powerful and primal. As James's lips gently brushed Carlos's, they suddenly heard footsteps. James immediately moved backwards, and Kendall casually walked to his friends, panting.
"Would you believe a squirrel was trying to hide its nuts in my hat?" Kendall shook his head, shaking his hat to rid it of the fur from the squirrel. Carlos and James stayed silent for the remainder of the walk home while Kendall ranted, their minds replaying what could have happened.